Woman accused of killing pedestrian had drugs in her system, toxicologist testifies

SAN ANTONIO – A woman on trial in the DWI death of a pedestrian was unsteady on her feet, had difficulty communicating with police and was uncooperative during a court-ordered hospital blood draw, witnesses told jurors Thursday.

KSAT 12 News is not identifying the woman, who is charged with intoxication manslaughter, because she was a victim of sexual assault in an unrelated case.

A hospital emergency room nurse testified that the woman was "uncooperative" when he attempted to obtain a court-ordered blood sample following the wreck.

"She would roll to one side when I was trying to get her to hold still to acquire a sample," emergency room nurse Andrew Calhoun testified. "I remember that I had to get another staff member to help me secure her arm in order to take the blood sample."

Genene De King, a toxicologist, testified that the woman's blood samples showed that she had Xanax and another drug in her system.

"It's a prescription drug, but it's rarely prescribed," De King testified. "We see it most often when it's in a person who had been using cocaine."

On the morning of June 17, 2013, the woman veered from the road in the 10000 block of Ray Ellison Drive, where she struck and killed Charles Smith, 47, as he walked on the shoulder, San Antonio Police Department traffic investigator Sgt. Timothy O'Connell said.

Using a skid-to-stop formula, O'Connell said the woman was driving a minimum speed of 37 mph when she struck White.

If the woman is found guilty, she faces punishment ranging from two to 20 years in prison.

Testimony will continue Friday before State District Judge Laura Parker in Felony Impact Court.